Seven of the very best found footage horror films ranked

Found footage horror film Number 7:

Grave Encounters – Found footage horror seems to be the genre of choice for low-budget filmmakers. As with many other films in the found footage realm, Grave Encounters is cast with unknown actors, lending a sense of realism.

Written, directed and edited by The Vicious Brothers, the storyline involves a group of television paranormal investigators, much like the Ghost Adventures crew. The team locks themselves inside a psychiatric hospital that is rumored to be haunted, and this episode of their series, as we are told, turns out to be their last.

While filming their investigation, our crew of ghost hunters encounter activity that includes a levitation bed frame, words scratched on the back of their occult specialist, and the disappearance of a team member. They also hear voices and experience a time variance.

And the day/night goes on, the activity becomes more violent and even bloody, until we get to the end of the film. Grave Encounters is a scripted film, but apparently the actors were allowed to improvise, which again, gives it a more realistic feel – something that is usually very important with found footage.

Grave Encounters got a social media boost when its initial trailer went viral, and it received the sequel treatment a year after its 2011 release. Both Grave Encounters and Grave Encounters 2 can be seen on Tubi.